Encouragement for Life, Love, and Leadership

March 29, 2011

You Fight Like A Girl!!!

You Fight Like A Girl!!!

“4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.” Judges 4:4-9 NIV

“14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.” Judges 4:14-15 NIV

There was an insult that just got under my skin when I was a little boy. It was a phrase I never wanted to hear about myself, and a comparison that I just couldn’t stand! Anytime someone said, “You ______ like a girl,” it teed me off. I remember as a young boy, the greatest insult was when someone said things like, “You run like a girl!” “You throw like a girl!” “You scream like a girl!” or “You hit like a girl!”

I hated it. I also didn’t care too much for the fact that when I was a kid and went to judo, my friend Kris (a girl) would whoop my behind every time we went against each other! If I learned to “fight like a girl” back then, it would have been a great improvement for me (although I never wanted to admit it).

Barak and Deborah in the Old Testament teach me that sometimes in life I still need to learn to “fight like a girl.”

In bible times, to be a woman meant to lack status. Israel was a male dominated society and women were considered by many Jews to be outcasts. Being a woman in the Old Testament, Deborah was an unlikely candidate to be someone greatly used by God. This is encouraging since I along with most people I know, are unlikely candidates too! This passage shows me that even if I am un-talented, un-attractive, un-trained, un-qualified, or underrated, God can still use me!

Deborah also gives me some tips on fighting like a girl.

1 – To fight like a girl, I need to see the need to fight. Deborah understood the need to take action for God. Barak, another leader of Israel, didn’t want to take a stand for God. At least, he did not want to make a stand without Deborah.

As people of God, we think we are always supposed to live at peace. Deborah realized that Israel needed to fight and overcome the enemy if they were going to live at peace. There is a war waging around ALL believers today, and too many of us choose to sit passively by and let the enemy have his way. We want to live our lives as if we are on the playground rather than on the battleground. We need to contend for our integrity. We need to contend for our families. We need to contend for our churches. We need to contend for our kids and their futures. We need to contend for the next generation.

I read about a guy who said “There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started to take karate lessons, but the instructor wanted 5 dollars a lesson. That was a lot of money. I found out that it was cheaper to pay the bully so I gave up karate.”

To many times, we find it easier to pay the bully than learn how to defeat him. We need to learn from the girls and know that a fight is coming and we can’t avoid it!

Deborah realized that there was no time for hesitation and no time to put off overcoming the enemy. She realized that when it comes to taking action for God, there was no time like NOW! Someone once said, “You cannot afford to wait for perfect conditions. Goal setting is often a matter of balancing timing against available resources. Opportunities are easily lost while waiting for perfect conditions.”

2 – To fight like a girl, I need to see through different eyes. Barak saw 900 chariots that stood against them. Deborah saw God who stood for them.

While the army of Israel was large, they were outmanned physically by Sisera’s army. Sisera’s army was well equipped and were well trained soldiers. To look though Barak’s eyes would be to see a group of largely untrained men to fight an army of well trained and well armed soldiers. To look through Deborah’s eyes would be to see Proverbs 21:31 which says; “31The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”

Lord I never thought I’d pray this, but teach me to fight like a girl. Well, give me the spirit of Deborah who was courageous enough to recognize the need to take a stand for You and to see Your greatness over my circumstances. In Jesus’ name, amen.